Government workers shouldn’t have to donate to political causes they disagree with

The Trump administration is calling on the Supreme Court to overrule a 40-year old precedent that lets states force public employees (like teachers) to pay fees to unions that that represent them.

The Supreme Court precedent the administration wants to overturn says that unions may charge all employees for the cost of collective bargaining, but not for the union’s political activities. About 20 states allow that practice.

The Obama administration supported the unions in previous challenges, and when the issue was last before the court in January 2016. It appeared from oral arguments that challenge would be successful, but Justice Antonin Scalia died a month later, and the court announced that it had split, 4 to 4, on the issue.

With Justice Neil M. Gorsuch taking Scalia’s place, the court announced in September it was taking a new challenge on the issue.